


Beautiful Diamond

by BradyGirl_12



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU, DCU - Comicverse, Justice League of America (Comics), Superman (Comics), Superman/Batman (Comics), World's Finest (Comics)
Genre: Action, Action/Adventure, Adventure, Challenge Response, Crystals, Drama, Friendship, M/M, Magic, Male Friendship, Male Slash, Prompt Fic, Slash, Snow and Ice, Spells & Enchantments, World's Finest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-14
Updated: 2012-02-14
Packaged: 2017-10-31 04:33:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/339913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BradyGirl_12/pseuds/BradyGirl_12
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Batman must follow his heart to save Superman.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Fire

**Author's Note:**

> Origianl LJ Date Of Completion: January 30, 2007  
> Original LJ Date Of Posting: January 30, 2007  
> Disclaimer: DC owns ‘em, I just play with ‘em.  
> Original LJ Word Count: 2079  
> Written for the [World's_Finest](worlds_finest.livejournal.com) Challenge #8: Heart of Ice.

The grim figure struggled through the snow, his long, black cape billowing out behind him. His breath formed crystals in the frigid air, the stark whiteness of the landscape broken by shadows of blue.

Bruce peered through the snow goggles, noting the sparkly mountains surrounding the snowy plains. The words stark beauty flashed through his mind. He rubbed his arms as he trudged ahead.

& & & & & &

_The fire crackled in the fireplace. Bruce was settled in his favorite overstuffed chair, hot chocolate in hand and a plate of raspberry sugar cookies on a small side table._

_He felt a rare sense of contentment as he watched the snow falling outside the study windows. Dick was doing homework at the round table in the corner, a plate of cookies and cup of hot chocolate within his reach._

_Alfred appeared in the doorway. “Sir, Master Clark is here to see you.”_

_Dick looked up, pleased anticipation on his face. Bruce mirrored those feelings._

_“Send him in, Alfred.”_

_Clark appeared a few seconds later, hair rumpled and glistening from the snow. Bruce blinked._

_“Welcome, Clark. Have a seat here by the fire.”_

_“Hi, Clark.”_

_“Hi, Dick, and thank you, Bruce.”_

_Clark settled into the chair opposite Bruce. Within seconds, a plate of cookies and a cup of hot chocolate appeared for him. His eyes lit up. “Thank you, Alfred.” He ate a cookie and sighed happily._

_“What brings you by, Clark?”_

_“I wanted to get your opinions on some of Gotham’s movers and shakers.”_

_Bruce nodded, watching as Clark took out his notepad and pen. He could probably just commit the conversation to memory but the Kryptonian liked to keep in the habit of human methods._

_Bruce wondered at the restraint of his friend. All that power, always kept under control, was admirable._

_All that power…_

& & & & & &

_The silence was complete. Most people would feel uneasy, but Bruce felt soothed._

_He was grateful for the insulated batsuit. This Arctic-like cold had to be guarded against._

_He consulted his compass. It was cracked, utterly useless, but it provided comfort to him. Even the illusion of technology calmed him. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly rotated his body as he listened..._

_North._

_He opened his eyes and started walking again._

_The cold was beautiful in its own deadly way. Bruce always appreciated power resting beneath beauty._

_His snowshoes allowed him easier travel as he walked across hard-packed snow. His inner sense indicated he was still on the right track. One part of his mind stayed alert, another part drifting back…_

& & & & & &

 _Bruce and Clark conversed about Gotham’s wealthiest, Bruce’s knowledge of the business community and Social Register crowd equally deep. As the Prince of Gotham, he was the best-connected man in town._

_Clark was a good reporter, asking the right questions. His talent lay in non-confrontational skills, the antithesis of a Lois Lane or other stereotypical reporter images._

_Yet it would be a mistake to underestimate the mild-mannered reporter. His affability masked persistence, which eventually wore down his interview subject. Despite Bruce’s knowledge of his friend’s methods, he had nearly been caught a few times himself._

_As Bruce talked, he noticed the firelight highlighting the planes of Clark’s face. The art patron in him appreciated such sculpted beauty. If Michelangelo had seen Clark Kent, he would have booted David out the door._

_Bruce hoped that the fire hid his blush._

& & & & & &

Bruce listened to the silence as he journeyed. He would reach his destination soon.

He unclipped the large tube attached to his utility belt. Unscrewing the lid, he shook out the contents. Unrolling the parchment, he read its calligraphy carefully.

  
_She with the Heart of Ice  
Seeks beauty  
In all  
Its diamond strength._   


Bruce’s mouth twisted.

& & & & & &

 _The Justice League gathered at the satellite HQ for their monthly meeting. Members were socializing for a few minutes before Clark called them to order as chairman._

_Suddenly, a thunderclap left their ears ringing, and they shielded their eyes from a bright, white light._

_A woman of heart-wrenching beauty shone in the middle of the light, Bruce gasping as he was sure that his eyes played tricks on him. Was she made of… ice?_

_Clark staggered back. She smiled a frosty smile and drew the astonished man to her with a lightning-fast move that ended in a kiss._

_Another thunderclap, and in that split second of flashing light, Bruce’s heart sank as he saw Clark transformed to match the woman, who winked at Bruce before she and Clark disappeared._

_Bruce’s mouth hung open, other Leaguers equally stunned._

_“Oh, crap,” said Zatanna._

& & & & & & &

Bruce read over the parchment again.

  
_The Queen of Ice  
Reigns over snow,  
The Moon her totem,  
Her palette cold._   


Bruce peered up at the weak sun to the north. He allowed his senses to stay focused on the inner part of his being, a trick he had learned long ago in Asia during training and which Zatanna had suggested he use on this journey.

A lot of things were coming back to him.

He kept his pace even as he forged ahead.

& & & & & &

 _Shock wore off quickly. Bruce bellowed, “What the hell?” He stormed over to Zatanna. “Who was that?_ **And where did she take Clark?”**

Zatanna was already thinking strategy. “She’s the Queen of Ice from another dimension.”

“What does she want with Clark?” asked Diana. “Or does that kiss tell us?”

Zatanna shook her head. “She already has a consort.”

“Maybe she cheats,” Ollie said sourly.

“No, she collects beauty.”

“Beauty?” Barry flexed a scarlet-clad hand. “Well, that explains why she took Clark. How do we get him back?”

“I’ve got to do some research.” Zatanna laid a hand on Bruce’s tense arm. “I won’t be long. Try and rest, Bruce. You’ll need your strength.”

Bruce didn’t like the sound of that as Zatanna invoked a traveling spell and disappeared.

& & & & & &

Bruce was grateful for the lack of wind. Even with insulation and other methods of protection, wind could cut through a man.

He had to keep focused. The unending vista of ice and snow, punctuated by glaciers and mountains, could lull him into a near-narcoleptic state.

He allowed a part of his brain to diversify. Memories were always good…

& & & & & &

 _Bruce was surprised at how content he felt as the fire crackled. Domesticity was not usually his goal, but here he was, happy as Alfred bustled in the kitchen, Dick worked on his homework, and he and Clark chatted in a relaxed fashion. He could get used to this._

_He thought about the David imagery he had cooked up a while ago. His analytical gaze cataloged the living artwork seated in front of him: soft, silky hair the color of midnight; the fine, strong nose; a mouth that smiled more often than not; the incredible unearthly blue of the eyes…_

_“Bruce?”_

_“Hmm?”_

_“You look happy.”_

_Bruce focused on Clark’s smiling face. He looked at Clark, who was warm and smiling. Not cold marble._

_“I am.”_

& & & & & & &

Despite the unscientific methods he was using, Bruce didn’t question them. Zatanna had been an enormous help, guiding him through this mystical world.

He didn’t mind the monotony of the journey. It gave him time to listen to his heart. 

His mouth quirked as he realized that anyone hearing those words would find them laughable. The Batman with a heart? Astounding!

Clark always knew differently. He had been patient and kind and loving, reaping the rewards of friendship.

He checked the parchment again.

  
_Over time,  
Over place,  
One whose heart is true  
Is the One True Love._   


Bruce knew he could be the most focused being on the planet, but he could also compartmentalize his mind. Single-minded focus would numb him on this particular mission.

 _“Listen to your heart”._

Sunlight winked off the mountains, reminding Bruce of the computer simulations of Krypton’s Jewel Mountains. Delicate beauty, dazzling beauty, diamonds against the sky.

_“You’ll know the way”._

Bruce’s energy was restrained. He couldn’t afford to expend any unnecessarily. He had to make this journey alone.

 _“Only you can save him”._

The silence was fortunate. He didn’t have distractions to tune out. All he had to do was concentrate on Clark, whether in memory or in the purpose of mission.

_Soon, my friend, soon._

& & & & & &

 _Magically, a scroll and sheet of regular paper appeared. Bruce grabbed the items as they floated in the air of the satellite HQ. He read the notes first:_

_**Batman, the scroll will give you directions and a sense of your adversary, but first know this: the Queen of Ice is not a typical ‘villain’. She lacks certain ethics but retains others.** _

_**As I said, she collects beauty. She takes it as she sees it, and kidnapping doesn’t concern her.** _

_**However, she gives her treasures’ rescuers a fair chance. The Queen will put no obstacles in your way. There will be no dragons, giants, trolls, or wizards in your path. However, you must come to her dimension alone.** _

_**You must listen to your heart as to where to go. The directions will guide you to your starting point. You will not be given any specific directions after you begin, though a description of the landscape will be contained in this parchment.** _

_**I cannot tell you where Superman is. I can only transport you to your starting point.** _

_**Blessed Be, Batman.** _

_Suddenly, a light appeared, then winked out. Left in Bruce’s palm was a small diamond._

_“What is it, Bruce?” Diana asked._

_“My teleport key.” Bruce looked at the Amazon. “I’ve got to prepare.”_

& & & & & & &

When he was ready, the diamond had glowed, transporting him to a world of ice and snow. Out in the vast Arctic-like expanse, Bruce had felt despair until he had calmed himself.

_Focus inward._

It had worked, his Zen-like training an aid to receiving the message he needed.

And now he continued his journey, glad for the lack of dragons and trolls. He was worried about Clark. How the hell was he going to convince this Ice Queen to let his friend go?

Clark was better suited to all this magical stuff. He liked to go on instinct when the situation called for it. Bruce preferred facts, but he had to incorporate feelings into the equation. Even before Clark, Dick had taught him that. The lessons he had learned from his ward had prepared him for the best friendship of his life.

Bruce frowned. Feelings. He certainly held feelings of friendship for Clark. There was a closeness he enjoyed, a meeting of equals despite a disparity in power.

Confidence soared in Bruce. His heart was leading him directly to Clark. He could feel it.

He paused. Odd that his heart would be the important element in all this, but he decided not to analyze it for once. If anything, Clark had taught him that.

He trudged around a small glacial outcropping, stopping short.

It wasn’t exactly the Emerald City, but there appeared to be a sparkling grove of ice far off on the horizon.

His heart leaped. The parchment had described such a place. 

His pace quickened. He was going to get Clark back.

Again that sense of puzzlement skittered across his mind but he focused on his destination.

& & & & & &

Bruce’s face reflected his awe. The grove was a sparkling rainbow of trees in ice form, their delicate beauty stunning in their complexity. Crystal filigrees wove airy, spiderwebbed patterns against the intense blue sky.

Bruce entered the grove. Some of the trees appeared on fire, the sun creating prisms of wild color. He remembered Clark telling him once about firetrees he had seen on a distant planet.

It was probably ironic that Bruce could speak so casually of other planets and not feel disoriented in this other dimension. As the Batman, he was a creature of the elemental earth, tied to a city, much less a planet or galaxy.

 _How parochial,_ he though with a bitter smile.

Though, he supposed, as he glided past the trees, Dick would argue that bats were creatures of the air. _Big picture, Bruce._

Bruce’s mouth quirked in a lighter smile. Clark would agree, of course. The world was his playground.

The trees grew thicker, nearly blinding him, but he saw a small opening in the copse and slipped through, surrounded by dazzling ice. Luckily he was not claustrophobic.

Gradually the thicket of trees revealed another small opening, and Bruce stepped through it.

He stopped in utter amazement.


	2. Ice

Bruce stared at the icy coffins. Heart pounding, he cautiously approached one.

 _No, not a coffin._ His gloved fist clenched. 

All the life-sized figurines were laid out in clear boxy cases. Male and female, they were all beautiful, like diamonds in a jeweler’s display case.

He hurried his pace, checking each case.

_“The Queen of Ice collects beauty.”_

Zatanna had been right about that, but he was only interested in one particular beauty.

He found Clark in a special clearing. Awe tinged his face as he absorbed the sparkling rainbow of light surrounding his friend.

Crystalline trees bowed gracefully over the case, their startling colors creating arcs of rainbows over the glass. Or was it ice?

Inside, Clark slept in icy repose.

Bruce felt a myriad of emotions wash over him as he gazed at Clark’s face: joy, fear, protectiveness…and…? 

His hand slowly caressed the top of the case. Cold seeped through his glove, sending a chill through him.

“I see you have come.” 

Bruce’s heard jerked up. He had not heard anyone’s approach.

His eyes widened.

The Ice Queen stood only six feet away, her crystal beauty stunning this close up. She wore a white gown that shimmered and a crown that sparkled. Bruce wasn’t sure if the crown was made of ice or diamonds, an amused thought skittering through his mind.

_Does it matter, as ice is slang for diamonds, anyway?_

The planes of her face were distinctive but curiously soft for a woman of literal ice. Her hair was swept back from her face, her eyes a pale blue, serene as she gazed at Bruce.

Bruce felt a little shiver crawl through him. It was no illusion: she was made entirely of ice.

“Of course I’ve come.” Bruce kept his hand on the case. “You kidnapped Superman!”

The Queen cocked her head. “Did I?”

“He didn’t come willingly!”

She took a string of diamonds from the folds of her skirt. Long, graceful fingers slid over the beads like a penitent whispering over an icy rosary.

“Are you sure?”

Bruce frowned. “I’m sure.”

The beads made a faint clicking noise. “Do you know what I collect?”

“People of beauty.”

The Queen smiled in gentle amusement. “That, too.”

“What else?”

“I collect broken hearts.”

Bruce frowned again. “Superman hasn’t broken off a love affair lately.” He and Lois were long over.

“That does not mean he does not love another.”

“Your Majesty, I’ve come here to reclaim Superman.”

The Queen inclined her head with a frosty smile. “Go ahead.”

Bruce regarded her warily but lifted the lid of the case. He looked down helplessly at the crystalline form of his friend.

“You want the key to rescuing him, do you not?” 

Bruce forced himself to be patient. “How do I transform Superman back?”

“His One True Love must kiss him awake.”

Bruce felt stunned. “He and Lois are finished! How can he be turned back to flesh and blood?”

“Dear Batman, I do not refer to Lois Lane.”

“Then who?”

The Queen’s smile was amused as her ice-blue eyes gazed at him.

Bruce felt a chill skitter down his spine.

_She doesn’t mean…_

“Why do you think you reached this grove simply by following your heart?”

Bruce’s hand was a block of ice. Numbness turned to a wild heat as all his feelings coalesced into a white-hot sun of realization.

_Can it be true? Are my feelings of friendship for Clark even more?_

He remembered the recent visit of Clark to Wayne Manor, and his appreciation of his friend’s physical beauty. Why wouldn’t that mean…?

 _“’One whose heart is true…’”_ he quoted from the parchment.

 _“…’is the One True Love’”._ She waved her hand in the direction from which Bruce had just come. “All of my beauties are heartbroken. Their hearts have turned to ice.” Affection shone in her eyes. “They are all my precious jewels, like the string of a necklace.” She placed the beads around her neck. “They are all beautiful diamonds.” The large diamond that swung at the end of her necklace sparkled.

“Yes, they’re a girl’s best friend,” Bruce said sarcastically. With his free hand he fingered the teleport diamond he had put away in a pouch in the lining of his cape. In this case, probably a boy’s best friend, too. “And you would just allow me to transform him and then walk away?” 

“Of course.” The Queen fingered her necklace. “I do not keep mended hearts.”

Bruce looked down at Clark. An ice sculpture of exquisite beauty. Sparkling like a diamond. A Sleeping Beauty who could be awakened with a kiss.

Bruce was not astounded by his feelings. His feeling was more of surprise. Perhaps he had realized the truth a long time ago, deep down inside. And now…

_I **do** love you, Clark._

A small smile spread across his face. It would be easy to do what was necessary. Looking back on his memories, he didn’t think Clark would mind.

The lid lifted easily and Bruce leaned over the ice sculpture.

His lips met cold, but warmth spread out from his body to envelop Clark.

A rainbow of light burst out from the two of them, creating a corona of joy. Bruce felt his heart beat with that joy as warm lips kissed him back.

“Clark,” he breathed.

“B…Bruce?”

Bruce opened his eyes to see the star-blue eyes of his best friend…and one true love.

“It’s okay now.”

Bruce held out his hand and Clark took it, sitting up. Rainbow light threaded through his hair like a string of diamonds.

“Beautiful.”

Both men looked at the Queen, whose smile was affectionate.

Bruce helped Clark stand up, putting his arm around his friend, who wobbled slightly.

“Who…who are you?” Clark asked.

“The Queen of Ice, my dear.” Her fingers stroked the diamond. “You have been awakened.”

Puzzled, Clark looked down at the case, then at Bruce. Bruce tightened his hold.

“Her Majesty is a collector.”

“Collector? Of…what?”

“Beauty.”

Clark blushed. Bruce wanted to kiss him.

“And now you may go.”

Bruce spoke up. “But the others…”

“…will be released when their True Loves come for them.” The Queen’s smile grew incandescent as blue/white light consumed her and she vanished.

Clark was still shaky but his eyes were clear as he turned to look at his companion.

“My True Love?”

“Clark, let me tell you a little tale while we take a trek back home…”


End file.
